A Forever Kind of Love
by alayahchanel
Summary: When her parents die in a car crash, Broadway star Rachel Berry is left caring for her 16-year-old sister, Marley. Giving up her star life to cater to her sister, Rachel finds a new job as a bartender in an erotic bar, where she meets an unusual group of friends, including the mysterious owner, Puck. Nothing could've prepared her for this. Puckleberry with Faberritanna friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**A Forever Kind of Love**

**A/N I'm a beginner at writing FanFiction so go easy on me. I had this idea from watching the MTV show, Big Tips Texas. Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enjoy!**

**Plot: Rachel Berry is living the life of a Broadway star when she gets the news that her parents have died in a car accident, leaving her 16-year-old sister, Marley, in her care. Giving up her star life to cater to her sister, Rachel finds a new job as a bartender in an erotic bar, where she meets an unusual group of friends, including the mysterious owner, Puck. Nothing could have prepared her for the outcome.**

Chapter 1

_This is the life_, Rachel Berry thought to herself as people gave her performance a standing ovation. She had just finished a performance as Elphaba in Wicked and she felt like she was on top of the world. As she began taking off her costume in her dressing room, her best friend/manager, Mercedes Jones, came in.

"Hey hot mama," she smiled. "Great show tonight. I swear, I'm so close to actually believing that you'll fly away on a broom or something." Rachel laughed as she wiped off her green makeup.

"Thanks, Mercedes. It feels exhilarating to just have the crowd entranced with my performance. It sucks that this is going to end after next week."

"You act like you won't get involved in some other show as soon as this one ends. Everyone wants you, you're the hottest thing on Broadway since Idina Menzel and honey, that says something," Mercedes smiled, as she helped unzipped Rachel's dress.

"I need a night out though," Rachel said, stepping out of the dress as it fell to the floor. "What are you doing with Shane tonight?"

"He's taking me out to dinner because he knows that he's been a little busy lately and hasn't been making any time for me so he's trying to make up for it."

"Aww that's so sweet. I can't wait to get something like that in my life." Rachel sighed, thinking of her love life. It's not that she wasn't attractive or anything, as Mercedes pointed out. It's just that she hasn't had the time to. Being on Broadway and doing show after show doesn't provide much time for dating, not that she minded. Rachel's first love has always been Broadway and she has never regretted that decision.

"Trust me, you'll get there. There isn't one man alive who doesn't want you," Mercedes sympathized. She knew how Rachel felt. It was years before she herself found love in her husband so she remembers the loneliness. But she knows that Rachel will get that once in a lifetime love that she's craving.

"Well they need to hurry up and get here," Rachel gave a sour laugh as she let her hair down out of the bun that it was previously in. Once again, she felt like herself. As much as she loved playing different characters, she enjoyed when she could undo everything that made her that character and go back to being herself. "But until then, I guess I'll be spending the night with some popcorn and West Side Story."

"Sounds like fun," Mercedes rolled her eyes as they heard a frantic knock on the door. Rachel opened the door and found the director there.

"Rachel, it's your sister. It's an emergency," he told her. Rachel confusedly took the phone, wondering why her younger sister was calling her at this time.

"Marley? What's going on?"

"Rachel," she heard Marley sob. She grew scared. Marley has never sounded so distraught and upset.

"Honey, what is it? What's wrong? You can tell me, what happened?"

"There…there was an accident," she got out before sobbing again.

"An accident with who?" Rachel asked, getting more worried by the second. "Sweetie, take a deep breath and talk to me. What happened?"

"Dad and Daddy," Marley started before crying again. She remembered what Rachel told her so she took a deep breath and continued. "Dad and Daddy were on their way… to the movies and a… drunk driver ran into them. They crashed into a wall and…they were killed instantly."

"What?" Rachel put a hand to her mouth to cover her sobs. Her parents, her protectors and providers, they were gone. They were gone and never coming back. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"Can you just please just come home?" Marley asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I just can't be alone right now."

"I'll be home as soon as possible. I love you."

"I love you too," she responded before hanging up. Rachel hung up and dropped to the floor, in tears.

"Rachel what's going on?" Mercedes asked, wondering what was making her friend so upset.

"My dads. They're dead," she choked out before sobbing again. Mercedes immediately went to hold her as she just let Rachel get all her cries out.

XXXXXXXX

When Rachel pulled up in front of her house in Lima, Ohio, she felt like she hadn't been there in years, when in actuality it's only been a year. As she got out of the car to get her luggage, Marley ran out of the house and into her arms.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said before pulling away to look at her big sister. "I'm sorry this whole thing interrupted your show."

"I don't care about that show, I care about you. How are you? Where's Grams?" Rachel asked, looking around. Before Marley could respond, their grandmother, Mildred, came out.

"Rachel, it's so good to see you," Mildred said, hugging her granddaughter. "I just wish it was under different circumstances."

"Me too. Come on let's go inside," Rachel urged. She took her luggage and they went inside. They sat down in the living room with Rachel and Marley on one couch and Mildred on the other.

"Well the funeral is Saturday, along with the reading of the will," Mildred told Rachel. "When do you need to be back in New York?"

"My manager told me to take as much time as I need."

"That's good because I want to make sure we have everything squared away. I'll leave you to get settled in and everything," she told her before getting up and going to the kitchen. Rachel looked at Marley, who sat there with her head down.

"I've missed you, Marls," she tried to smile but Marley just looked up at her with tears in her eyes before running upstairs to her room. Rachel sighed and went to her bedroom to unpack.

XXXXXXXX

There were many tears at the funeral, especially from Rachel and Marley. Rachel couldn't stop looking at the picture of her fathers beside their casket. She remembered how in love they were with each other and was comforted by the fact that they at least ended their lives together. At the reading of the will, Rachel sat beside her grandmother as the lawyer read everything to them.

"Now we come to the issue of custody of Marley," the lawyer said. "She is only sixteen but fortunately, because she has you two, she won't need to go into foster care."

"Great. So she'll just live with Grams then, right?" Rachel asked. However, both the lawyer and Mildred were silent. "Right?"

"Rachel, I'm sixty-nine years old," Mildred told her. "I can't keep up with a teenager. I think it would be best if you take Marley back to New York with you."

"But she has a life here. I can't tear her away from that."

"Rachel at this point, Marley isn't even herself. She won't sing, won't go out with any of her friends, I have to force her to eat. I think change would do her some good. Take her away from all this sadness. Besides, she's always imagined living with you in New York."

"I guess. So I'll get her enrolled in school and everything?"

"Yes," the lawyer interjected. "You will become her legal guardian, assuming all responsibility for her."

"It's what your fathers would've wanted," Mildred quietly added. Rachel knew her fathers would want her to do this. No one understood Marley like she did so it was only best if Rachel took care of her.

"Okay, I'll do it."

XXXXXXXXX

Marley was cooperative with the move. She agreed that she couldn't take living in the same house but without her parents so she and Rachel packed up all of her stuff and went back to New York. When they arrived at Rachel's loft, Marley went straight to the room that she always stayed in whenever she visited.

"I guess since this is your room, you can decorate it anyway you want," Rachel told her. Marley nodded and put her bags down.

"So I guess I'll be starting school Monday?"

"Yeah, I made a few calls and you'll be going to a private school nearby. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah it's fine," Marley answered. Before Rachel could tell her more, there was a knock at the door. Rachel opened it and found Mercedes standing there. She hugged her.

"How's everything going?" Mercedes asked, walking in.

"Good. We just got Marley moved in so she just has to get settled." Just then, Marley walked out of the room to hug Mercedes.

"Hey, sweetie," Mercedes greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay. Come by to check on us?"

"That and I come on official business," she said, before looking at Rachel. "I've explained your situation to everyone but they're still waiting for their star to come back. Miles Donovan wants you to do Les Miserables in the fall." Rachel looked at Marley before looking back at Mercedes.

"Tell them I'm not doing that show or any show for that matter. I'm done."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I need to be here for Marley. I can't keep doing shows and being gone for days at a time. She needs me."

"Rachel you love performing," Marley shook her head. "I'm not letting you quit because of me."

"I'm not quitting because of you. I'm quitting because performing wouldn't be the same, knowing that Dad and Daddy can't come see me anymore. It's too painful."

"Are you sure about this?" Mercedes asked. She didn't want her friend to make such a huge decision on a whim.

"I'm positive. I'm done," Rachel declared before going to her room, closing the door behind her. Marley and Mercedes just stared at each other in shock, worrying about the outcome of the decision that Rachel just made.

**A/N Tell me what you think or if I should continue. If you guys like it, I'll definitely continue and make more stories. So review! Bye for now :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Here's chapter two! I hope you guys like it. Your reviews help me write faster so keep them coming.**

Chapter 2

_Three Months Later_

"Marley come on!" Rachel yelled from the kitchen. "You're going to be late for your first day back from winter break!"

Marley came out of the bathroom and sighed. "I just don't understand why you won't consider it. We're barely making rent as it is."

"I hear what you're saying Marls, I really do but the answer is still no," Rachel said, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "I'm the big sister so I'm the one who will be working. You just focus on what song you'll be singing in Tibideaux's class and making friends."

"What do I need friends for? You never had a lot of friends in high school and you turned out fine."

Rachel shook her head. "That doesn't mean I liked it. After a while, spending lunch in the choir room got old. I don't want that for you. And I don't want you working because in that school, you need to keep your GPA to stay in."

"Come on Rach," Marley begged. But Rachel shook her head.

"No and end of discussion. Now get your stuff so we can go," she concluded. Marley groaned as she got her backpack and walked out behind Rachel.

For the past three months, the girls have been trying to pick up the pieces of their lives in the wake of their fathers' accident. Rachel stayed true to her word and officially left Broadway, leaving many fans in shock and disappointment. Following her leave, she was able to obtain a job as a waitress, which didn't give her much money. Thankfully, because of her status as a Broadway star and their situation, the school let Marley in on scholarship. The money from their inheritance wasn't available to them until Marley turned eighteen so they were forced to make do with what they have.

After dropping Marley off at school, Rachel rushed to get to the diner on time. When she got there, she began cleaning off tables and taking people's orders. While she was giving the kitchen the latest orders, she noticed two blondes and a Latina sitting at one of her tables.

Walking over to them, she gave them a smile. "Hi I'm Rachel, I'll be your server for today."

The three girls looked at her and laughed. The Latina smirked. "I didn't realize we'd have Yentl serving us food."

"Seriously, she looks like one of those munchkins from the Wizard of Oz," the blond next to her laughed. Rachel straightened up and ignored their rude remarks.

"What can I get you?"

"A different waitress," the Latina gave a smug smile. The blonde across from her rolled her eyes.

"San, quit it," she said before turning to Rachel. "I'll have an egg white omelet."

"I'll have two eggs and fruit," the other blonde added as Rachel scribbled.

"I'd still rather have a better waitress."

"Santana, really?" the blonde across from her shook her head.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Fine, I guess I'll have what Brit is having," she motioned to the blonde sitting next to her. Rachel added the number 2 to her notepad and walked away. That was what she hated about this job: dealing with rude customers who thought it was funny to make fun of her height. She wasn't even that short, she was only five feet tall.

No one used to care about her height when she was on Broadway. It was the place that she knew she belonged. Now it seemed like she didn't know anything anymore. All she knew was that she had to find some way to take care of not only herself, but Marley as well. Unfortunately, Marley wasn't doing much better. She was still quiet, she only sang when it was required in class and even then, she wasn't giving her all. Rachel considered taking her to a therapist but she knew that it would only cause Marley to shut down completely. Until she could fully open up to Rachel about how she's been feeling, Rachel would just have to wait for her to be ready.

When the orders were ready, Rachel took the food out to the table, where the girls seemed to be arguing about something.

"We need to find someone," the blonde across from Santana stressed as Rachel put their food in front of them. "You know Tina quit because Mike didn't want her to have a baby while working at the bar."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Figures she lets Boy Chang control her like that. Puck's going crazy, though. He's got the bank on his ass about late payments so if we don't get people in that place, we're all out of a job."

The blonde next to her looked up at Rachel. "What about her? She might have the body for it."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Please, Brit. This midget does not have what it takes to be a Peppermint Heaven girl."

"A what?" Rachel asked, confused. The three girls looked her up and down.

"Shake out your hair," Santana demanded.

"I don't understand-"

"Just do it," she said, getting impatient. Rachel didn't want to annoy her any more than she already had so she took her slip out of her hair and shook out her long, brown hair. "Well I'll be damned. She's actually hot."

"Um thank you?" Rachel responded, still unsure of where all of this was going.

One of the blondes shook her head. "Ignore her. I'm Quinn," she pointed to herself before motioning to the other blonde. "That's Brittany and this, of course, is Santana."

"Nice to meet you. But I still don't understand why-"

"Look, we need someone to fill in this spot at the bar that we work at and we think you might be perfect for it."

"Why me?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Are you deaf? Did you not just hear me say you're hot? And coming from me that must mean something."

"Yeah Santana's like, the queen," Brittany added. "By royal decree, you being hot is like the law of the land."

Quinn just rolled her eyes at Brittany's comment. Obviously Santana has been trying to get something from her lately to use something as stupid as that. "Anyway, what do you think?"

Rachel shook her head. "I don't know, I kind of already have a job here."

"Yeah but it doesn't look like you get paid a lot here. Am I right?" Quinn asked. Rachel looked down, too embarrassed to answer. "Exactly. You can really make some money at Peppermint Heaven."

"If you want, you can stop by to check us out and see what we do," Brittany suggested. Quinn and Santana nodded.

Rachel thought for a second before answering. "Yeah, I can stop by after my shift ends at six."

Quinn nodded. "Perfect. Now can we have boxes for this so we can get to work and the check?"

Rachel nodded before walking away to get that for them while putting her hair back up in the clip. Hopefully, she'll like whatever kind of job this place had because she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to take dealing with rude customers who didn't tip. Maybe this job could be different.

XXXXXXXXX

When Rachel got off from work, she went to the bar to check it out. She walked in and didn't expect what she was seeing. The girls walked around in red tube tops with the name of the bar across their chests in black rhinestones and short black shorts with black tennis shoes. Rachel wasn't expecting this kind of environment but now, she was understanding why it mattered how she looked. All the girls had nice shapes and were gorgeous. She felt average compared to all of them.

She looked around and found Quinn behind the bar, pouring a man's drink. When Quinn looked up and saw Rachel, she whispered to a girl standing next to her and walked over to her.

"Hey, I'm glad you made it," she greeted. "So what do you think?"

"I wasn't expecting anything like this," Rachel said, watching a girl walk pass them.

"Yeah, but come on. It's not like we're walking around here with a bra and underwear on," she replied before taking her hand leading her to the back. "First thing's first, take that hair back down."

Rachel stepped back. "Why? I don't work here yet."

"If you want the job, you have to impress the owner," Quinn explained. "And he loves when our hair is down. That's why it's part of the dress code."

Rachel shrugged and took the clip out of her hair once more and shook her hair out. "Am I ready now?"

Quinn nodded and knocked on the door. They heard a rough voice from the inside yell for them to come in so she opened the door and walked in with Rachel following behind her. There, Rachel found a man in a blue muscle shirt that seemed to make his hazel eyes sparkle sitting behind a desk, writing something in a book. He looked up.

"What is it, Quinn?" he asked as he went back to what he was doing.

Quinn pushed Rachel forward. "I found Tina's replacement. This is Rachel. Rachel, this is the owner, Puck."

"Puck?" Rachel frowned. What kind of name is Puck? He looked her up and down.

"Short for Noah Puckerman," he replied. "Don't take this the wrong way Rachel…"

"Berry," she finished. "My name's Rachel Berry."

"Rachel Berry? The Broadway diva?" he asked surprised. Rachel stepped back, in shock. He was the last person she expected to recognize her from Broadway.

"Yeah. How did you-"

"My sister's obsessed with you. Don't take this the wrong way Berry, but you don't seem like the type of girl who can work here. I need tough girls who can get things done and handle the drunk motherfuckers that come through here."

Rachel shook her head. "I can do it. I've lived in New York for four years, I definitely know how to deal with drunk guys. And I'm plenty tough."

"So why aren't you on Broadway? Got tired of singing for people who could care less about the show, much less the actors? I heard you once did a show where you had sex on stage. I'm pretty sure that alone is what made people come."

Rachel stood there, in shock and anger. How dare he insult her shows? He didn't know anything about them or her for that matter.

"I'll have you know that a lot of people enjoy the show just as much as they enjoy the actors. And I wasn't really having sex on stage, that's why it's called acting. I see you don't know much about that," she shot back, glaring at him.

Quinn saw the tension that was building so she stepped in. "Puck, come on. We're struggling to pick up and do everything Tina used to. We really need some help."

Puck sighed and looked at Rachel once more. He couldn't deny that she was one of the hottest women he's seen, even though she's wearing that ridiculous waitress outfit. He wouldn't mind seeing her in the uniform and watching that ass of hers walk back and forth around the place. When he realized Quinn and Rachel were still standing there, waiting for an answer, he snapped out of it.

"Alright, you got the job. Be here tomorrow at noon and the girls will take you through training."

Rachel nodded. "Thanks, I promise I won't let you down." She looked at Quinn, who nodded and gave her a smile, before walking out. Quinn turned to him.

"Really? Insulting her?" she asked.

Puck shrugged. "What? You got to have thick skin to work here and I had to make sure that she had it. But she's good. For a Broadway diva. Now get back to work."

Quinn rolled her eyes and walked out of the office closing the door behind her as Puck got back to work.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So you're working at a bar where you'll be dressing like a whore," Marley concluded as they sat at the table, eating Chinese food since Rachel didn't feel like cooking.

"Hey, the clothes are not that bad. And I need to do something otherwise we'll be getting kicked out of this place. So come on, can you please be supportive?"

Marley thought about it and sighed. "Alright. As long as you're sure about this."

"Before I left, the girls told me I'd be making double what I make at the diner. Trust me, this is a good thing for us. I promise."

"I just can't wait to see you in that outfit. That's going to be the funniest thing I've seen since I first saw you wear green makeup for Wicked." The girls laughed as they continued eating and talking about their day.

**And there you have it. Rachel and Puck have finally met, along with Rachel meeting Santana, Brittany and Quinn. Like I said, your reviews help me write faster so please review! P.S. Later on, I'm going to have Rachel sing something and Puck overhears her. What do you think the song should be? Let me know! Bye for now :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hello everyone! A few things to share with you guys. First, I'll probably be updating slower this week, I'll be busy with school and working on a Valentine's Day gift for my boyfriend. Second, I'm also sorry for all the confusion with the reasoning behind Rachel leaving Broadway. I didn't realize how confusing and unrealistic it sounded but keep in mind, I'm a beginner at this. Just hang in there, I promise it'll get better.**

Chapter 3

Rachel got up the next day and got dressed. When she walked to the living room, Marley was already there looking over her music and humming.

"Sounding good Marls," she said, walking to the kitchen. "Is that your new song that you have to work on?"

Marley sighed. "Yeah, unfortunately."

"What's wrong? You don't like the song?" Rachel asked, even though she already knew the answer: Marley doesn't want to sing anymore.

"I'm just not interested in it. I'm sure you understand that."

"Okay, yes I understand that. But quarantining yourself from other people isn't going to help. You have to get back out there and make some friends. Join a club or something."

"No offense Rachel, but you can't really talk. I haven't seen you hang out with anyone lately or go out and do something fun. All you do is go to work and come home every day."

Rachel wanted to respond but she couldn't because she knew Marley was right. She hasn't been going out lately with anyone. The only time Mercedes sees her is when she stops by the diner but now that she doesn't work there anymore, Rachel doesn't see her as often.

When Marley went to school, Rachel decided to straighten up the loft before going to the bar for her training. While she was cleaning, there was a knock on the door and she opened it to see Mercedes standing there.

Rachel smiled and hugged her. "It's bizarre that Marley and I were just talking about you."

"I'm not surprised, I'm a very popular person." They laughed as Mercedes came in and they sat on the couch. "So why haven't I been seeing you lately? Finally got a man to cater to?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Nope, not even close. I've just been busy with work and trying to get Marley to open up to me."

"She's still not doing well?"

"She has no friends and she refuses to sing with any emotion or feeling. Not only am I afraid of her losing her scholarship for it but I'm also afraid that eventually she's just going to close herself off to the world. That's the last thing I want, especially after everything that's happened. Do you think it was a good idea to take her out of Lima?"

Mercedes shook her head. "Come on, Rach. We both know that if she would've stayed, she probably would've been worse than this. It's only been three months, just give her time, she'll come around."

"I hope so."

"Now tell me about this new job," Mercedes smirked. Rachel groaned.

"Don't even get me started. The girls dress like they're ready for someone to rip the shirts off them any second and the owner had the nerve to insult me and my work on Broadway. Ugh, I was only in the same room as him for five minutes and I already can't stand him."

"Sounds like love to me."

"Don't even think about it. There's no way that that will turn into anything."

"If you say so," Mercedes rolled her eyes, knowing this is typical Rachel. She can never see when a guy is interested in her so it didn't surprise her that she didn't know now.

Rachel looked at the clock and saw that it was time to go to the bar for her training so she and Mercedes left. When she got there, she found the girls in there cleaning everything and getting ready for the evening. Surprisingly, they were all in normal clothes. Suddenly, Quinn walked by.

"Oh great, you're here on time. Trying to score extra points with Puck, I see."

Rachel shook her head. "No, I just don't want to be late. I have a lot to learn."

"That you do," Quinn nodded. Rachel looked around again.

"Everyone looks so…normal," she commented. Quinn laughed.

"Yeah, we don't officially open the bar 'til about two o'clock so until then, Puck lets us walk around in normal clothes but at one-thirty, we have to change into our uniforms."

"Oh okay. So I'm guessing you'll be training me today?"

"Actually, no. I have a few duties to attend to so Santana and Brittany will be training you."

Rachel immediately frowned. It was fairly obvious the Latina didn't like her so she was hoping that she wouldn't be training her. "Santana? Are you sure Brittany can't do it on her own?"

Quinn laughed a little at the brunette's attempt to get out of being with Santana. "Well Brittany can get a little…confused when she explains things so it's best if you had someone else with you."

Rachel nodded, defeated, as Santana and Brittany walked up to them. "Okay, Hobbit, are you ready?"

"Okay you know what? Enough with the insults. I'm not going to tolerate your consistent put-downs just because you think you're better than me. I have a name and it's Rachel. Not Yentl, or midget or Hobbit, Rachel," she declared. Santana, Brittany and Quinn looked at each other before clapping. Rachel stood there, confused. "What did I do?"

"Damn, now I know why Puck hired you," Santana said. "You're feisty."

"You're so cool," Brittany added.

Rachel shook her head. "I'm still confused."

"Being the head bitch here, Santana always feels the need to test the newbies," Quinn explained.

Santana nodded. "I like to give people shit to make sure they belong here. These guys get drunk and some can get pretty mean and start spewing random crap. You got to be able to take it and dish it back, which is what I heard you did to Puck."

"Yeah, well he was being an imbecile and making assumptions about me. I had to defend myself."

"And you did," Quinn nodded. "Now I'll leave you to your training." She walked away and left the girls. Santana turned to Rachel.

"So are you ready?" she asked. Rachel nodded and they spend the next hour and a half getting Rachel used to the place. Rachel learned where to put her clothes for when she changed into the uniform and she figured out how to avoid being touched by the drunk guys who get touchy feely with them.

When one-thirty hit, the girls went to the back room to get dressed in their uniforms. When Rachel got dressed, she took her hair out and went to meet the girls. When she appeared, they looked at her.

"So?" Quinn asked. "What do you think?"

"I look ridiculous."

"Shut the fuck up Rachel," Santana said. "You look hot as hell. Although you could fix one thing."

"What?"

"Your hair," Brittany said.

"What's wrong with my hair? I thought I just had to have it down?" Rachel asked, confused.

"Yeah but you could look so much better if it was curled or something." Santana pulled out a chair from behind her. "Come sit in my chair."

Rachel was about to protest but then she realized that she has just gotten on the Latina's good side and didn't want to mess that up so she sat in the chair. Fifteen minutes later, Santana finished and turned Rachel around to see the mirror. When she saw herself, Rachel's jaw dropped.

"I look great," she whispered.

"Much better," Santana smirked, approving of her work. They joined the girls in the bar as Puck came out of the office to inspect them.

He nodded. "Good. Alright, you can get to work." The girls started walking away until Puck added, "except for Broadway Diva."

Rachel stayed back as the rest of the girls continued walking. "You wanted to see me?"

"Just wanted to wish you luck on your first day. I see you survived Santana's bitch fits so you must be doing well so far."

Rachel stood there, shocked that Puck is actually being nice to her. "Thank you, Noah."

"It's Puck."

"I refuse to call you by that preposterous name. Your given name is Noah and that is what I'm going to call you. So can I start working now?"

Puck froze, shocked that this tiny ball of fire was actually standing here, telling him what she'll call him. No one ever challenged him like that and as much as it annoyed him, he had to admit that it was actually sexy as hell. He loved when a woman took charge. When cougars threw themselves at him when he was a teenager, it was a serious turn on and when Rachel did it, it brought him that same rush. Especially when she's in the uniform.

It was when Rachel tapped her foot that he realized he was daydreaming again while she was talking. He snapped of it and paid attention to her again. "What?"

"I asked why on earth is this bar called Peppermint Heaven?" she repeated.

"Because peppermints taste good in your mouth, along with my favorite part of a woman." Puck smirked as he set his gaze on Rachel's chest. She followed his eyes and looked back up at him in shock and anger. "I wouldn't mind getting under this shirt."

Rachel stepped away from him, disgusted. "Not even in your dreams, Puckerman," she declared as she stomped away, frustrated at her new boss. This was going to be a long day.

**So I have a ton of work to do but I should be good to write and update over the weekend so be on the lookout for that. Also, I want to have more stories on my profile so if you have a prompt for me to write to, don't hesitate to let me know. Don't forget to review! Bye for now :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all the good reviews! I'm really glad you all are enjoying the story. Reading them makes my day so keep them coming.**

Chapter 3

Rachel was behind the bar, washing the glasses while watching Santana stare at Brittany, who was flirting with a customer.

"Santana?" she called. Santana looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Santana quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just have to keep an eye on Brittany. These guys can be creeps and if they do something to hurt her, I won't hesitate to use the razor blades in my hair."

Rachel laughed. "She seems to be doing just fine. Just relax." But even after Rachel said that, Santana was still shooting daggers at the young man talking to Brittany. Rachel shook her head as she saw a young man with caramel skin who looked to be Marley's age come in and walk over to her.

"Excuse me, is Puck here?" he asked. Before Rachel could respond, Quinn came over.

"Hey Jake," she greeted. "What are you doing here? You're not cutting class again, are you?"

"Calm down, Q," he smirked. "School let out a half hour ago, I just stopped at home first to change out of my uniform before coming here. So where's Puck?"

"In his office, go ahead." Jake nodded and walked away while Quinn looked at Rachel.

"Who was that?" Rachel asked.

"Puck's younger half-brother, Jake. You can't tell that they both have that same smirk when talking to someone?"

Rachel giggled. "I thought it looked familiar. So he's a bad boy?"

"No, just misunderstood. That's why Puck tries to spend as much time with him as possible. Our latest challenge is trying to get him to stop skipping class. He goes to a private performing arts high school nearby."

"New York High School for Performing Arts?" Rachel guessed.

Quinn looked at her, surprised. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"My sister goes there on scholarship."

"Guess New York isn't as big a place as we thought it is," Quinn smirked before moving to walk away but Rachel stopped her.

"Is Santana okay?" she asked, motioning to the Latina who was still glaring at the young man that Brittany was still talking to. "She said she's just looking out for Brittany but I feel like something else is going on."

Quinn sighed. "Well it's more than that. Santana has always been in love with Brittany but of course, Brittany hasn't really taken much notice. It's not that she's ignoring it, she can just be clueless at times."

"So why doesn't Santana say something?"

"She doesn't want to jeopardize their friendship. She thinks that if she tells her and Brittany doesn't feel the same, Brittany will limit the amount of time they spend together because she thinks it's awkward."

Rachel shook her head. "But Brittany doesn't seem like the type to do that. She's so sweet and gentle."

"I keep trying to tell her that but I'm sure by now, you know Santana's personality. She's stubborn as hell. Once she has an idea in her head, there's no telling her otherwise."

"That's so sad, though. Brittany could probably love her too but she wouldn't know."

Quinn shrugged. "That's how it going to be for now, I guess. Anyway, tell me about this sister of yours. You never mentioned her."

"Her name's Marley, she's sixteen, has a beautiful voice, and is kind of new to living in New York. She just moved here three months ago."

"Cool, I can't wait to meet her." Right after Quinn said it, the door opened and Marley walked in.

"Well it's your lucky day," Rachel said as she walked over to Marley. "Quinn this is my sister, Marley. Marley, this is my friend, Quinn."

Marley gave a small smile towards Quinn. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Marley looked Rachel up and down, staring at her uniform.

"Wow. Definitely funnier than the Wicked costume," she laughed at her sister.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What are you doing here? I thought you were hanging out with Mercedes until I got off?"

"I am, I just have to tell you something." She looked down and played with the skirt of her uniform. "Tibideaux wants a conference."

Rachel looked over at Quinn. "Can you cover for me for a sec?" Quinn nodded and Rachel pulled Marley off to the side. "What do you mean she wants a conference?"

"She thinks I'm not trying hard enough in class so she thinks that talking to you might motivate me or something. The whole thing is ridiculous and uncalled for, in my opinion."

"Why are you not trying?"

"I just really don't want to sing. Maybe you should just put me in a regular high school."

"You have a beautiful voice, I don't understand why you don't want to show it to people. You used to love singing. We used to put shows on for Dad and Daddy all the time, they loved it."

Marley groaned in frustration. "Stop. That was the past. They're not coming back so there's no point in bringing that up."

Rachel stepped back, shocked at how her sister was acting. "Marley-"

"Can you just sign this?" Marley asked, taking out a paper. "She wants to make sure that you know about everything."

Rachel sighed and nodded before taking a pen and signing the paper. Once she did, Marley took the paper and left the bar, leaving Rachel staring after her.

Quinn walked up behind her. "Don't worry about that. She's a teenager, storm-outs are kind of their job."

"I'm just so worried about her. She hasn't wanted to sing anything since our dads died."

Quinn shrugged. "Maybe she just doesn't find enjoyment in it anymore. I mean, I'm sure you haven't sung anything. And you did it for a living."

"I guess you're right."

"So don't worry. She'll come around soon. In the meantime, these glasses need to be ready for the people tonight so let's get them set out," she suggested. Rachel nodded and decided to put Marley to the back of her mind for now so she can get through her shift.

XXXXXXXXX

Rachel was wiping all the tables down just after switching the open sign to closed. Because she was the new girl, everyone chose her to close up but she didn't mind since she had a lot on her mind and wasn't in a rush to get home. Mercedes had called her on her break and told her that Marley wanted to spend the night there. After making sure that Mercedes would be able to get Marley to school the next day, she agreed.

While she wiped the table, she thought about how it seems like her life was changed in an instant. One minute, she was on Broadway, the next she was a waitress trying to take care of herself and her sister. Sometimes, it felt like everything was too much for handle.

She remembered what Quinn said about her not singing. Rachel couldn't deny, she hasn't been singing lately but she was never in the mood to. She was always tired and not wanting to do a lot. But while she was cleaning, she found herself starting to sing a song that could get out her feelings.

_Took this love and I took it down  
Climbed a mountain and I turned around  
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills  
Till the landslide brought me down_

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?  
Can the child within my heart rise above?  
And can I sail through the changing ocean tides  
Can I handle the seasons of my life?  
Oh oh I don't know, oh I don't know  


She thought of all the changes she and Marley have been forced to go through. Living without their fathers was harder than anything she could ever imagine. She thought that Marley would start to get better but it seems like she's just getting worse and she doesn't know what to do.

_Well, I've been afraid of changing  
'Cause I've built my life around you  
But time makes you bolder  
Children get older I'm getting older too  
Yes I'm getting older too, so_

I've been afraid of changing  
'Cause I, I've built my life around you  
But time makes you bolder  
Children get older  
I'm getting older too oh yes  
I'm getting older too

So, take this love, take it down  
Oh if you climb a mountain and you turn around  
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills  
Well the landslide will bring you down, down  
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills

Well maybe the landslide will bring you down  
Well well, the landslide will bring you down

"Nice voice," a voice said from behind her. Startled, she turned around and saw Puck standing there, smirking.

"What are you still doing here?"

"I had some paperwork to finish so I stayed," he explained. "I'm guessing the girls forced you to stay and close up since you're the new girl?"

"Pretty much. I don't mind, though. I have a lot of things on my mind right now."

"That explains the singing. So what's your deal?"

Rachel looked at him, confused. "My deal? What do you mean?"

"You obviously got a voice on you. What the hell are you doing here instead of singing for all the Broadway freaks in New York?"

"Let's just say things change and suddenly, being on Broadway wasn't the most important thing in the world."

"You're right it's not. But aren't you supposed to be all optimistic and shit? It's like someone sucked the life out of you."

Rachel sighed, annoyed at her boss. "Well I've been having a hard time being happy lately and I would appreciate it if you didn't question me about it. I don't have to explain anything to you."

"Maybe but trust me, you're going to get tired of carrying all that baggage around with you. If you keep your panties all tied up, no guy is going to want to tap that. Then you'll just end up bitter. I see it happen all the time."

"And let me guess, you do something to help those poor people, don't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I know exactly what a woman like you needs. All you need is someone to show you a good time and you'll be perfect in no time."

Rachel stood there, speechless. He actually had the audacity to think that she would sleep with someone like him. Although she couldn't deny that Puck was indeed attractive. The way his muscles bulged through his shirt made her want him to hold her and never let go. And his smile. That smile made her go weak in the knees and forget what she was going to say. But as tempting as all of this was, Rachel still can't let someone like him in. She knew that all she would've ended up with was an even more broken heart than she already had.

"As tempting as that is, I'm going to tell you something that I'm sure not a lot of women say to you: no. Absolutely not. I refuse to let you take advantage of me like that."

"Who says anything about taking advantage of anybody?" he asked as he walked closer to her. He stopped when he was just inches away from her. "Maybe I just want to get to know you."

Rachel stared up at him for a minute, taking in all of his features. His eyes were mesmerizing. She felt like she could stare into them all day. As her eyes wandered down to his lips, she realized what was happening and stepped back.

"I don't think so," Rachel replied before looking at the clock. "Looks like I'm off the clock. Have a good night Noah." She said before turning away and getting her stuff. As she walked out the door, Puck let out a breath.

"Just wait Berry," he mumbled. "You're going to want me."

**Looks like things are starting to heat up between Puck and Rachel. The song Rachel was singing was Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and please review. Bye for now :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! I hope you all had an enjoyable Valentine's Day Weekend. Sorry if this is late, I've been working on assignments for school. When you can, please take a look at the new story I'm working on, ****_Too Little Too Late_****. And I know this sounds like such a newbie question but what are AU stories? If someone could answer, I'd greatly appreciate it. Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

Rachel's been working at Peppermint Heaven for a few weeks now and she's getting used to how everything works. She's been making friends with the girls, especially Quinn, Santana and Brittany, who have helped her with everything she needs to know.

Rachel hasn't been around Puck a lot since that night he heard her singing. She doesn't know what it is but there's something about her boss that makes her want to forget about her reservations and get to know him more. But with the amount of girls that have been walking in and asking for Puck, it makes Rachel change her mind. She's not interested in becoming another one of his toys to play with.

While she was making a drink for a customer, she saw a tall man come in and sit at the bar. He looked at her.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around here. You must be the new girl."

After she gave the customer his drink, she came over to him. "Yeah, I'm Rachel. I started a few weeks ago."

"Cool, I'm Finn. Quinn's boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you," Rachel nodded. The more she looked at the young man, she understood Quinn's choice. Finn is a very handsome man with a boyish smirk that would make any girl smile. And if that wasn't enough, their names rhymed so that must mean something. But she couldn't understand how a guy could be okay with his girlfriend working in a place like this, wearing these types of outfits and being surrounded by drunk men who could try anything at any second. "So you're okay with Quinn working here?"

"Yeah I trust her. Not to mention, I've known Puck my whole life and no matter how much of a pig he can be, he looks out for the girls here. He doesn't take any shit from the guys who come through."

"That's surprising. He just seems like a plain pig to me."

Finn laughed. "Just give it time, you'll see."

Before Rachel could respond, Quinn came over and smiled. "Hey."

Finn leaned in and kissed her. "Ready to go? The movie starts in a half hour and we still need to get our tickets."

"Hang on," she turned to Rachel. "Can you handle everything from here? I know Santana and Brittany left earlier and the other girls took off for their girls' night so you'll be stuck cleaning up everything."

Rachel nodded. This wasn't unusual. She learned that on Thursday nights, all the girls went to do something before they were forced to stay late on Friday and Saturday night when they had a lot of customers. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Go have fun."

"Okay see you tomorrow," Quinn smiled before walking out with Finn. After the last customer left, Rachel sighed to herself. With everything that's happened, she couldn't deny that she missed dating. Being on Broadway took up a lot of her time then with everything that happened with her fathers, she hasn't really been interested in dating anyone. Her main concern has been looking after Marley and keeping a roof over their heads. Still, whenever she saw a couple, she couldn't help but wish that it could be her.

While she started cleaning up everything, Puck came out of his office. "So once again, you're left cleaning everything up? Being the new girl must really suck."

"For your information, I'm perfectly fine with staying late and cleaning up."

"Because you know I'm still here."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Yeah that's it."

Puck shrugged. "Eh, maybe not. After all, you have been avoiding me ever since our little connection a few weeks ago. What's that about?"

"I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been trying to do my job without having to be tempted to file a complaint for sexual harassment."

"Come on, babe. You know everything I do is out of playful fun. And besides, if it bothers you so much why are you still working here?"

"Because I need the money. Trust me if I didn't, I surely would've quit by now. The way you act towards women is deplorable, no matter what your friend says about you."

Puck frowned in confusion. "What friend?"

"Quinn's boyfriend, Finn."

"Oh well you should trust his opinion more than anyone's. Finn doesn't hesitate to tell people how much of an ass I am."

"Whatever. Why are you always here late, anyway? I thought the boss is supposed to be the first one to leave?"

"Nope. I always stay late to watch after whoever's the last one working. There are a lot of crazy fucks out here and I don't want anything to happen to anyone."

Rachel stood there, shocked. She didn't think Puck was capable of actually caring about the women who worked for him. "Wow, that's actually pretty considerate of you."

"I'm not a complete douche like most bosses are. If I was, I'd be banging every chick in this place."

"Well with as many girls that walk through here looking for you, one might think differently," Rachel smirked.

"I was talking about the employees. I said nothing about the ones I meet outside of here. And I'm allowed to have a little fun. Unless someone is a little jealous that she's not getting any of the Puckerone," he wiggled his eyebrows causing Rachel to laugh.

"Again, not even in your dreams. I have no interest in being the next girl to get a night with you then get her heart broken when you decide not to call the next day. Besides, I have much more self-respect than to be doing those silly one night stands I'm sure you're accustomed to. Must be hard to know there's someone you can't charm."

Puck put his hand over his heart, pretending he was hurt. "I'm insulted. Who said I was trying to charm you? I could simply want to get to know you."

"You told me that you want to be the one to show me a good time. I bet if I didn't turn you down and actually went home with you that night, you'd be ignoring me right now."

Puck shrugged. "Depends on how good the sex was. If it was bad, probably. If it was mind-blowing like I think it will be, then nope. I'd be coming back to ask for more. Face it, Berry. We're a couple of good-looking Jews. It's natural for us to hook up. All you got to do is say yes and we can be back there on my desk in a second. "

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Are you always this forward with women? If so, you might want to try a different approach. You don't even know me and yet you're trying to sleep with me. I could be a serial killer or a psycho for all you know."

"You're a Broadway Diva. Something tells me you don't have it in you to be a serial killer and as far as being a psycho, I'm sure you would've freaked out on me already if you were. But if it's so important to you, fine. Let's get to know each other," he said walking away from her. He flipped the "open" sign to "closed" and locked the door.

"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, confused. Puck turned around and stayed on that side of the bar.

"I'm sure I can't get you to strip for me so I figured this is the next best thing. How about we go back and forth telling each other one thing about ourselves. After everything we say, we take a step toward each other."

"And what happens when we reach each other?"

Puck smirked. "Game over. So you in or what?"

Rachel thought about it. This could be a way to find out more about the man who has been on her mind lately. She nodded. "Okay. You first."

"Well I was raised by my mom and I have a younger brother and sister. My brother lives nearby while my mom and sister live in Rhode Island," he said. Step forward.

"I was raised by my two dads and I also have a younger sister. They used to live in Lima, Ohio until, um…" Rachel looked down.

Puck raised an eyebrow. "Until?"

"Until my dads died in a car accident a few months ago and my sister came to live with me so I can take care of her."

Puck stood, shocked. He didn't realize what the small diva has been through and here he was, constantly trying to get under her skin. "Rachel-"

"Your turn," she cut him off, taking her step forward. He decided not to question her and to continue the game.

"My dad walked out on us when my mom found out about his fling with another woman which resulted in my brother being born." He stepped forward.

Rachel thought for a minute before saying her next statement and stepping forward. "I've been afraid of getting close to anyone here."

Puck wasn't sure if he wanted to play this game anymore. It was obvious Rachel's been through a lot these past few months. He's seeing something in her that's making him more attracted to her than to any woman he's ever met. When he looks at her, all he wants is to take all of her pain away.

Slowly, he started walking over to her. When he reached her, he took her face in his hands and gently moved the hair out of her eyes.

"What happened to the game?" Rachel asked, getting nervous.

"Game over," he whispered before leaning in and kissing her. Rachel's mind was telling her to pull away but she couldn't do it. She began to kiss him back, letting him back her against the bar. While their tongues battled for dominance, all of Rachel's thoughts of feeling lonely are gone. She just focuses on the man in front of her.

Just as they were getting into the kiss, a cell phone rang forcing them to pull away from each other. Rachel looked around and when she saw that it was her phone, she moved away from Puck to grab it.

"Hey Marley," she answered before listening to her sister. "Yeah, I'll be home in a little bit…Okay, bye."

Puck sighed. "You have to go?"

"Yeah. I forgot to leave money for my sister to get food and she needs to eat so I have to go feed her."

"Well we can always take this to your place," he smirked.

Rachel stepped back, disgusted. "You know what, forget about what just happened. It was a mistake and it won't happen again."

Before Puck could respond, Rachel grabbed her things and ran out. He sighed to himself. He knew he was pushing her and he should've stopped but he couldn't. Puck needed to figure out why this girl was stuck in his head and he couldn't get her out. Even when he took another woman home with him, his thoughts would drift to the small brunette. Ever since he heard her singing, he couldn't stop hearing that voice in his head. He needed to be near her and figure out why she acted the way that she did. He was going to solve the puzzle that was Rachel Berry if it killed him.

XXXXXXXXXX

After cooking Marley dinner, Rachel went to her room and began thinking about her kiss with Puck. As wrong as it was, it felt so right to have his lips on hers. She hasn't felt this way about anyone in such a long time and it was scaring her. She couldn't risk losing anyone else she cared about. That's why she insisted on walking Marley to school every day. If she lost her, Rachel doesn't know what she would do. She would just have to be even more careful around Puck at work. It was the only way for her to keep her heart safe.

XXXXXXXXXX

When it was time for work the next day, Rachel was getting ready when Marley came out in casual clothes.

Rachel looked at her. "Why aren't you in your uniform for school?"

"I have the day off. Can I hang out at the bar with you?"

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Marls. I mean, a sixteen-year-old in a bar on a Friday doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Well it's never busy during the day and I'll just come home tonight before the crowd comes in. Please Rachel, I really don't want to be stuck in this place all day."

Rachel thought about it. Marley's attitude hasn't been too bad lately and she didn't want to force her to stay home the whole day. She nodded. "Okay you can come."

Marley jumped up and hugged her. "Thank you, thank you."

"But the minute I see you with an alcoholic beverage, you are banned from that place."

"Deal," Marley nodded. They left and walked to the Peppermint Heaven. When they got there, the girls were inside, dancing to music while they were preparing for the day. Soon, they started to sing.

_Santana, __Quinn,__**Brittany, **_**Rachel ****All**

_Boys call you sexy_

_And you don't care what they say_

_See, every time you turn around_

_They screamin your name (repeat)_

_Now I've got a confession_

_When I was young I wanted attention_

_And I promised myself that I'd do anything_

_Anything at all for them to notice me_

When they noticed Rachel come in, Quinn pulled her in with them so she could sing along. Rachel was hesitant but she couldn't resist singing her favorite shower song.

**But I ain't complaining**

**We all wanna be famous**

**So go ahead and say what you wanna say**

**You know what it's like to be nameless**

**Want them to know what your name is**

**'Cause see when I was younger I would say**

**When I grow up**

**I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies**

**When I grow up**

**I wanna see the world, Drive nice cars, I wanna have groupies**

**When I grow up**

**Be on TV, People know me. Be on magazines**

**When I grow up**

**Fresh and clean, Number one chick when I step out on the scene**

**Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it**

**You just might get it, you just might get it (repeat)**

**_They used to tell me I was silly_**

**_Until I popped up on the TV_**

**_I always wanted to be a superstar_**

**_Who knew that singing songs would get me this far_**

The girls were having so much fun. They just danced around the bar and didn't notice Puck come in and watch them. Mostly, he was watching Rachel. After their kiss last night, he couldn't stop thinking about her. And seeing her dance around in the uniform to the song isn't helping keep his thoughts pure.

**But I ain't complaining**

**We all wanna be famous**

**So go ahead and say what you wanna say**

**You know what it's like to be nameless**

**Want them to know what your name is**

**'Cause see when I was younger I would say**

**When I grow up**

**I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies**

**When I grow up**

**I wanna see the world, Drive nice cars, I wanna have groupies**

**When I grow up**

**Be on TV, People know me. Be on magazines**

**When I grow up**

**Fresh and clean, Number one chick when I step out on the scene**

**Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it**

**You just might get it, you just might get it (repeat)**

Santana stepped to the front, swaying her hips as she sang.

_I see them staring at me, Oh I'm a trendsetter_

Quinn strutted up behind her to follow.

_Yes this is true 'cause what I do, no one can do it better_

Brittany danced to join them, fanning herself with her hand.

**_You can talk about me, 'Cause I'm a hot topic_**

Rachel moved her hips in circular motion, trying not to look at Puck as she sang the next line.

**I see you watching me, watching me, and I know you want it**

**When I grow up**

**I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies**

**When I grow up**

**I wanna see the world, Drive nice cars, I wanna have groupies**

**When I grow up**

**Be on TV, People know me. Be on magazines**

**When I grow up**

**Fresh and clean, Number one chick when I step out on the scene**

**Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it**

**You just might get it, you just might get it (repeat)**

The girls clapped their hands and laughed as the song ended. They looked at Rachel.

"Damn girl you have some skills," Santana told her. "I bet if you danced like that around the perves who come through here, you'd be getting bigger tips."

Rachel shook her head. "I don't know about that. I only dance like that at home."

Marley cut in. "But Rach, you looked hot. You're a lot more fun when you're loose like this."

Before Rachel could respond, Puck cut in. "Alright ladies, playtime's over. Get those sexy asses back to work."

The girls started talking to each other as they went back to doing their jobs. Rachel made sure to keep her distance from Puck so they couldn't talk about the previous night. Quinn noticed this interaction and decided to confront her about it. She followed Rachel to the dressing room.

"Okay spill," she demanded. "What's up with you and Puck?"

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked innocently. Quinn rolled her eyes.

"I see you guys avoiding each other. So what's going on?"

Rachel looked around to make sure none of the other girls were around to hear. "When I was here late last night, we kissed."

"What? How did this happen?"

"We were just playing a game to get to know each other, things got intense and he just leaned in and kissed me. I didn't want to push him away so I kissed him back. He seemed so different from the normal annoying guy he normally is. He was just Noah. Then my sister called my phone, interrupting us and it was like Puck was back so I said the kiss was a mistake and it won't happen again. Then I ran away."

"Wow. So does this mean you like him?"

"I don't know. He just gets under my skin and I want to ignore him but I can't. I want to take a chance on him but then I remember that he's a player and will break my heart into a million pieces. I've already lost so much, I really can't handle a guy hurting me like that right now. I guess I'm just…confused."

Quinn sympathized with her friend. She knew Puck's habits and his manwhore-ish ways. Rachel was a good person, she didn't deserve to go through what Puck could put her through. Not knowing what else to do, Quinn put a calming hand on Rachel's shoulder.

"Don't worry about him. Just do your job and ignore him, okay?" she asked. Rachel nodded and went back out to do her work. Meanwhile, Quinn decided that she needed to have a word with her boss about the situation.

**And there you have it. Puck and Rachel finally kissed! But what is Quinn going to say to Puck? Find out in the next chapter. The song used is When I Grow Up by The Pussycat Dolls. Please review. Bye for now :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello readers! I'm glad all of you are enjoying the story. I may not be updating as quickly in the next week or so due to midterms coming up but I will try update as fast as I can. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

Quinn walked into Puck's office, where he was on the phone. As she stood there with her arms folded, Puck talked to the person, who turned out to be his mother.

"Yes, Mom I'll try to make it home next Saturday for dinner…Yes and tell Sara that she is not allowed to date until she's forty, I don't care if she's thirteen and that's what other kids are doing…Love you too…bye." He hung up and looked at Quinn. "What's wrong with you? Finn being a dumbass again?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "No, this is about you and Rachel. I know you two kissed last night."

"She must've loved it if she actually told someone about it," he smirked. Quinn groaned in frustration.

"Puck, this isn't funny. Rachel isn't like all those other girls you mess around with. She's sensitive, especially with just losing her parents, and doesn't deserve you messing with her mind."

"And what makes you think I'm trying to mess with her mind? I could just be trying to get to know her."

"Bullshit. I've known you for years, you don't want to just get to know a girl. You want to try to get into her pants and then once you do, you leave them for the next one. It would only be a matter of time before you do the same to Rachel and I'm trying to protect her."

"Fuck you, Quinn. I'm not trying to do anything with Broadway Diva except get her to open up and stop being so damn afraid of losing everyone she gets close to. She doesn't need you to protect her so why don't you mind your own business and get the hell out of my office before I fire your ass."

Quinn shook her head and walked out, slamming the door behind her while Puck sat there thinking. What did she know? Sure, he has a history of screwing women over but Rachel is different. She's not like those women who would be willing to do anything he wanted with just the snap of his fingers. She was stronger and he actually admired that about her. Playing their game last night just reaffirms his need to get closer to her. He just needed a way to show her that he wasn't the complete asshole that she thought he was.

XXXXXXXXX

Rachel was laughing at Santana threatening a customer who touched Brittany's ass while she was serving him his drink when she saw Quinn storming out of Puck's office. She went over to her.

"Hey what's wrong?" she asked. Quinn shook her head.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. Just know that Puck won't be bothering you anymore."

Rachel looked at her, confused. "Why not? Did you kill him?"

"Of course not, just had a nice conversation with him. Told him not to mess with your heart because knowing him, he would've."

"Quinn!" Rachel groaned. This wasn't what she wanted. Now Puck will probably never speak to her again. "Why would you do that?"

"I was trying to protect you. Puck only wants one thing and I don't want him pressuring you into giving it to him."

"Look, I know you were just trying to help but I can take care of myself. If I want to sleep with Noah or any other man, it's none of your business."

Quinn stood there speechless. This isn't what she wanted. She just wanted to help her new friend and protect her from more heartbreak. "I'm sorry Rachel, I was just trying to help."

Rachel sighed. "I know you were and I appreciate it. But things like this I can handle on my own."

"I understand." Quinn nodded. "I really am sorry."

"It's okay. But if you're going to go off on another guy that I like, can you at least warn me first?" Rachel giggled. Quinn laughed.

"Got it. Come on, let's get back to work." They went back to cleaning glasses and preparing for the night while Marley sat at a table, working on extra homework for school. While she was working, she looked up and saw a boy walk in who looked familiar. He looked at her and walked over to her.

"Hey, you go to New York High School for Performing Arts right? I think I've seen you around," he said. At first, Marley forgot how to speak. She was distracted by how attractive he looked and couldn't form words.

"Um yeah, I think I've seen you too," she said, trying to shake her nerves off. Talking to boys has never been her strong point. "I'm Marley."

"Jake," he motioned to himself. "So you're spending our day off in a bar. How'd you get away with that?"

"My sister works here and I have to leave before the crowd comes in tonight. What about you?"

"My brother owns the place and he made a deal with my mom that he'd keep an eye on me while she's working."

"You're Puck's brother?" she asked, looking at him. At first she couldn't see the relation but as she looked closer, she noticed some similarities.

"Yeah, half-brother by our dad. So who's your sister? Has she worked here long?"

"No, she just started a few weeks ago. She's right there," Marley pointed to Rachel who was talking to Santana and Quinn behind the bar.

"Oh that's the Broadway Diva Puck was telling me about."

Marley looked at him confused. "Broadway Diva?"

"Yeah that's what he calls her."

"Well she was on Broadway for a while so it makes sense," Marley shrugged as Jake sat down across from her.

"She was on Broadway? What the hell is she doing here then?"

"She gave it up to take care of me." Marley looked down, guiltily. She never forgave herself for letting Rachel give up her dreams for her. She understood her reasoning but this isn't what she wanted for her big sister. Rachel shouldn't have to work in some bar that forces her to dress half naked just to get money for them to live off of.

Jake saw this and brought her head up. "Hey, she made the choice on her own. You shouldn't feel guilty about a choice that she made, even if she did it for you. If she really wanted to keep doing it, she would've."

Marley sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So what's Puck like? My sister says he's a huge manwhore who constantly hits on her."

Jake laughed. "Well no offense but your sister's hot. I'm not surprised that he's attracted to her. I guess it just runs in the family," he smiled, making Marley turn red. Before she could respond, Rachel came over to them with a plate of food.

"Okay, here's your lunch," she said, placing it in front of Marley. "It's on my tab so don't worry about it."

"Thanks." Marley looked between Jake and Rachel. "Rachel this is Jake. Jake this is my sister, Rachel."

"Nice to officially meet you," Jake nodded to Rachel. She nodded back and looked at Marley, noticing her red face. She put two and two together and realized that Marley has a crush on, of all people, Puck's brother.

Before anything else could be said, they heard Puck's voice call from his office. "Jake! Get back here, I need to talk to you."

"That's my cue," Jake said to Rachel and Marley. "I will see you ladies later."

As he walked away, Rachel looked at Marley, who was sill watching Jake walk off. "Wow."

Marley looked at her sister. "What?"

"You so have a crush on Jake."

"No I don't." Marley shook her head before starting to eat her food. "He's just some guy who goes to my school."

"Oh please, I've never seen you turn so red while talking to a boy. Which only means that you like him but what I want to know is why you had to pick him."

"What's wrong with Jake? He seems really nice."

"He's Puck's brother. They probably have the same perverted attitude towards women. Just be careful with him. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

"Maybe you could learn something from me." Marley smirked at her sister. Rachel's jaw dropped.

"What would I need to learn from my 16-year-old sister?"

"How to let loose. I know you like Puck. Otherwise, you wouldn't have kissed him last night."

"How do you know about that?"

"I heard you and Quinn talking. But if you like him, go after him. It's been a while since you've had a boyfriend. I mean, it's been a long time-"

"Okay, I get the point. But Puck's not my type and I know I'm not his. Don't you worry about my love life. Worry about making friends at school instead of hanging around at a bar all day, crushing on the resident bad boy."

Marley groaned in frustration. "Why can't you just accept that I don't want to make friends? I'm perfectly fine by myself."

"Because it's not healthy for a girl your age." Rachel said as she sat down next to Marley. "Look, I know Dad and Daddy meant a lot to you but they wouldn't want you living your life this way."

"Like what, Rachel! It's only been a few months. Unlike you, I'm going to get over it so quickly like you did. I'm still grieving."

"So am I. I'm just trying to get on with my life because I know that's what they would've wanted."

"Can we please stop talking about this? I was actually in a good mood, don't ruin it for me."

Rachel sighed and nodded, not wanting to push her sister. But she knew that Marley needed help. It was getting to a point where it was really starting to worry her and she felt helpless. Nothing she is doing is helping bring her little sister back to the way she was.

Deciding to take a minute to recompose herself, Rachel got up and went to the back. Once she was sure that she was alone, she let the tears roll down her face. It killed her to know that Marley thinks she's not affected by the death of their fathers. She was devastated but she knew that she couldn't show it because Marley needed her. She wanted to be strong for her, in hopes that maybe she would actually gain that strength back. But everything seems to just be too hard for her to handle.

While she was crying, she heard the door open and someone walk in. When she turned around, she saw that it was Puck.

"Noah," she said, trying not to sound like she had just been crying. "What are you doing in here?"

"I guess you forget that my office isn't really that far away from here. The better question would be why are you back here, crying? Something happen?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, I just have a lot on my mind. Don't worry, I'll be okay."

"Rach come on," he said as she started to turn away from him to hide her tears. He pulled her back into his arms and stood there, holding her. "You can talk to me. I mean, not unless you want Quinn in here to make sure I don't do anything stupid."

"I'm sorry about that. I swear I didn't put her up to it."

"It's okay, I understand. Last night freaked you out."

"Yeah, kind of. But can we not talk about that right now? I don't think I can take listening to you tell me that the kiss was a mistake."

Puck looked down at her, confused. "I wasn't going to tell you it was a mistake. It was fucking awesome."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Must you use that language?"

"Yes I must," he smirked. "Now can you tell me what's gotten you so upset? I've been watching you all morning, you seem to have been fine."

"I was until I started talking to my sister. She thinks I'm not upset about our dads dying but that's completely untrue. I'm devastated, I just don't want to show it because I don't want her to break down."

"Sometimes a breakdown is what we need. Shit, I think we all need to have a breakdown every now and then."

"Maybe but I just can't. I'm too busy making sure that she's taken care of so she doesn't get taken away from me. She's all I've got left, I can't lose her too."

After a moment of silence, Puck finally asked the question he's been dying to know the answer to. "So tell about you and your dads. How did that whole thing happen?"

Rachel hesitated before answering. "My birth mother wanted to be a star but didn't have the money. My dads wanted a kid but didn't want just anyone having one for them so they put out an ad and she answered. Nine months later, I came along. When I was seven years old, she came back and found my dads because she was pregnant again but didn't want to be a single mother since she didn't know who the father was. She knew my fathers were taking excellent care of me so she asked if they would take this baby. They said yes and later, Marley was born. She disappeared again and we haven't seen her since."

"Wow. So she basically sells her kid then gets pregnant again, dumps this kid on your dads then runs off? That's pretty fucked up."

"Yeah I know. But I don't hate her for it. I'm thankful for everything she's given me. She gave me great parents and a great sister."

"Well at least you have a good attitude about it."

Rachel nodded and decided to change the subject. "So what about you? Tell me about your life."

"When the time is right. For now, let's just get you back to work. You got a long night ahead of you."

"Yeah, I guess so. You know, my sister has a crush on Jake."

Puck smirked. "Not surprised. He's a Puckerman. Chicks can't resist us."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Look, the only reason I'm telling you is to let you know that if he hurts her, he will be castrated."

Puck held his hands up in defeat. "Hey, he's entering this at his own risk. Can't blame him, though. Getting with you could be worth the risk."

Rachel felt her cheeks immediate blush at the comment and stayed silent. She couldn't admit that the thought of being with Puck, while it may be frightening, excited her just as much. If he could make her weak just by kissing her, imagine what else he could do when they were…

"But anyway," Puck said, taking her out of her thoughts. "We have work to do so let's get back to it."

"You got it, boss." Rachel found herself smiling. Puck's mood became ten times better because of that bright smile. He knew that he would do whatever it took to keep it on her face.

XXXXXXXXXX

When the late night crowd started coming, Rachel and Puck sent their younger siblings to their respective homes so they wouldn't get caught up in anything going on. Once that was taken care of, the fun began. The girls redid their makeup to look good for the crowd and made sure they looked extra sexy for the men. When Puck saw Rachel, he felt his pants tighten. He wanted her but it killed him that he couldn't have her, at least not yet.

While she was serving up drinks, Rachel could feel Puck's eyes on her. Surprisingly, it didn't make her nervous. It actually made her excited. To know that she tempted someone this much, it made her anxious to see what would happen next for them.

"Hey Rachel," Brittany said, running over to her. "That guy right there wants you to be the one handling the rest of his drinks."

Rachel looked at the man that she was pointing at and found that he was very attractive. He was staring at her, looking like he wanted to take her home. When she turned around and saw that Puck was gone, she decided to ignore this look and go over to the young man.

"Hi my name is Rachel," she said, trying to sound as flirty as possible. "What can I get you?"

"How about you give me your hand so I can take it and get us out of here?" he asked, flashing her a flirty smile. "We could go back to my place and spend some time getting to know each other."

Rachel knew what this guy wanted but something told her it wasn't a good idea. The way his breath smelled told her that he had probably had a little too much to drink. "I don't think so. But I'd be happy to call you a cab."

The man laughed. "I don't want a damn cab, sweetheart. I want a good fuck. And you look like you'd be perfect for the job."

Rachel's jaw dropped in shock but she remembered to play it cool. "Tempting but still no."

As she tried to walk away, the man reached over the bar and grabbed her wrist, roughly pulling her back to him. "You're a fucking tease, you know that?"

Rachel looked around for someone to help her and before she could respond, she felt someone pull her back out of the man's grasp. When she looked, she saw that it was Quinn and when she turned back around, she saw Santana throwing a drink in the man's face.

"Are you good now, Jimmy?" she asked him. "You know better than to be putting those disgusting sausage fingers on us. Should I get Puck out here?"

The man mumbled out a no, clearly not wanting to mess with Puck. Santana nodded, proud of herself, as she walked back over to Rachel and Quinn.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, just a little shook up. Thanks for helping me."

Santana waved her off. "Hey, we look out for each other. Especially when it comes to perverted fucks like him. But for future reference, just threaten to get Puck. The guys are scared shitless of him because he doesn't play around when it comes to us. He has a strict 'no touching' rule unless we're the ones initiating it to get good tips."

"I'll remember that." Rachel nodded as they went back to doing their jobs. While Rachel was in the back, getting more glasses, Puck came over to her.

"Hey, heard some drunk bastard tried to get you. You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks to Santana and Quinn."

"Just make sure you're careful next time. These are some horny drunks we got here."

"So I've noticed. But it's okay, I got the girls looking out for me," she said before starting to walk out with the glasses but Puck stopped her. She looked up and saw him staring at her, intensely.

"You got me too," he whispered before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers, heatedly. He pulled her against his body and as she put the glasses on the table and wrapped her arms around his neck, Puck's hands touched the bare skin under her thin tank top. He lowered his arms to the bottom of her butt and lifted Rachel to sit her on the table, all while keeping their tongues together.

In need of breath, Puck attached his lips to her neck, kissing along her collarbone. Rachel writhed under his touch, arching her back and causing her chest to press into his. She gripped his shoulders as Puck slowly made his way back to her lips. Once there, he slipped his tongue back into her mouth as he brought her closer, desperately wanting to feel her. She couldn't think of anything except the man in front of her but as soon as she felt his hands go to the end of her shirt to pull it off, she pulled away from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as they tried to catch their breaths.

"We can't do this. I can't do this."

"You seemed like you could a minute ago," he smirked. But by the look in her eyes, Puck could tell Rachel was serious. "Look, you can't keep living your life afraid of getting close to anyone."

"You don't get it." She shook her head. "If I let you in, you'll only hurt me. Let me ask you something. What's your longest relationship?"

Puck hung his head, not wanting to say the answer they both know. He was never the relationship type. He just preferred going out and having fun with no real commitment to anyone. "Look why does that matter?"

"I don't do friends with benefits relationships or random hookups. I want a real relationship and you obviously don't so I can't do this. I can't do this thing with you because in the end, something will happen to us that ruins everything."

"Rachel-"

"Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you want to be with me?" she asked. Puck stared at her, thinking. He wanted her, no question or doubt about it. But he wasn't sure if he was ready to do a full on relationship, especially with someone who was so broken that he wasn't sure if he could fix her. When he didn't respond, Rachel shook her head. "That's what I thought. I have to get back to work."

She grabbed the glasses and walked out of the room, leaving Puck to think to himself about what had just happened. As much as he hated it, he could see where she was coming from but he just didn't know if he was ready for this. For the first time, Puck was completely lost about what to do with a woman.

**And there you have it. Should Puck and Rachel just agree to give a relationship a shot or should they continue the way they are now? Let me know what you think. Bye for now :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been a while, I've been having a bit of a writer's block on what I wanted to do with this story and **_**Too Little Too Late**_**. But I'm back and I hope you guys enjoy!**

Chapter 7

"Damn girl," Mercedes laughed after Rachel told her what happened between her and Puck. "I think you need to just let it happen."

Rachel sighed as they walked through the park. "All he wants is some one night stand. I'm better than that, I think I deserve more."

"You do but maybe there's a chance you could change him. I mean, would he have done that game where he tried to get to know you if he all he wanted was a one night stand?"

"I don't know." Rachel sighed in frustration. "He's so confusing and it's driving me crazy. Please tell me what to do."

"I can't. Sorry Diva but you have to figure this one out on your own. All I can say is, maybe it wouldn't kill you to let him in. I mean, you talk to Marley all the time about making friends and letting people get to know how her but you haven't really shown you doing the same thing. Maybe that's why she won't listen to you."

"So what you're saying is I should date Noah."

"What I'm saying is, maybe you should give him a chance. Maybe then, you won't be so closed off to everyone and by doing that, you'd be showing Marley it's okay."

Rachel thought about the idea. More than anything, she wanted Marley back to how she was before the accident and maybe Mercedes is right. Maybe the only way to get her back would be to show her that she was trying to move on. "I'd rather not talk about it yet. I need a few days to think about it. But he probably doesn't want anything to do with me now."

Mercedes shrugged. "You'll never know if you don't try."

XXXXXXXXXXX

When Rachel walked into Peppermint Heaven on Monday, she felt her stomach fill with butterflies. She avoided Puck on Saturday and since the bar is closed on Sundays, she didn't have to see him. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him or how it was going to turn out. But she knew she couldn't go on with the back and forth thing happening between them.

When she got to the dressing room, she found a card near her mirror with her name on it. She picked it up and began reading it.

_We need to talk. Stay late so that can happen._

_Puc__ Noah_

Rachel smiled the crossing out of his nickname to put the name he knows she prefers to call him. Part of her was nervous at the thought of meeting up with Puck but the other part of her was anxious and ready to figure out what was going to happen between them. It was time to put this game to an end and handle this like adults.

After she got dressed in her uniform, Rachel slipped the note into her bag and left the room to start her work. When she was at the front, she saw Santana and Brittany come in hand in hand.

Rachel walked over to them, smirking. "Well what's going on here?"

"Santana loves me." Brittany smiled, jumping up and down. "She told me last night. It was so sweet. Now we can stay together the whole day."

"Britt, you know I want to but you know Puck will be pissed." Santana told her but as soon as she saw Brittany frown, she wanted to take it back. "But I promise we can spend the whole night together when we get back to your place. Okay?"

Brittany nodded before kissing Santana on the cheek and getting to work. As she walked away, Rachel looked at Santana with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Santana asked, confused.

"So what happened to feeling like Brittany won't feel the same and that it might hurt your friendship?"

Santana shrugged. "I thought about it and just said fuck it. It kills me to see her flirt with these assholes every day so I had to do something. Now when she does it, I know it's just for fake. Damn Puck and his rules."

Rachel laughed. "Well I'm happy for you. It's about time something happened between you two."

"Yeah I know. Now it's time for you to make your move with Puck."

Rachel stared at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Cut the crap, Berry. We all know and Puck have been eye fucking since you showed up in this place so it's time for you to own up to it."

Rachel put a palm to her head in embarrassment. "It's really that obvious?"

"Oh yeah." Santana smirked. "Even Finn noticed. And he's not the quickest to catch on to anything."

"Okay don't tell anyone but he wants to meet with me after work to talk about our situation."

"So do it. You don't have anything to lose and who knows, the night might end with you two having sex on one of the tables," she winked. Rachel laughed before walking away to cater to a customer.

XXXXXXXX

While getting ready to go on break, Rachel heard her cell phone ring and looked at it to see that it was Marley's school calling.

"Please don't let her be in trouble," she mumbled under her breath before answering. It was just the nurse, saying that Marley has been throwing up and might have a virus. Rachel told her that she was on her way to pick her up. After hanging up, she sighed to herself. Looks like that talk with Puck would have to wait, unfortunately.

She walked to Puck's office and knocked before hearing him say come in. When she walked in, she found him on his computer.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked. He waved her off.

"Nope, just looking for some more ways to get more people to come here. It could help with all these bills that need to get paid. Anyway, what's up? I thought we were having our talk after work?"

"That's what I need to talk to you about. I just got a call from Marley's school and she has a virus. I need to get her and take her home so I was wondering if I could just have the rest of the day off and stay late tomorrow to make up for it."

Puck nodded. "Yeah it's fine, don't worry about it."

"Really?" Rachel asked, shocked. She wasn't expecting Puck to be so okay with her leaving in the middle of her shift.

"Yeah, I may be an asshole but I'm not heartless. Go take care of your sister. I'll just get one of the girls to take over for you."

"Thanks, I'll see you later." Rachel walked out of the office and went to get her things. As she started walking out of the bar, Quinn stopped her.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asked.

"Marley's sick. I have to pick her up from school and take her home so I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Okay. I just wanted to invite you to a dinner party Finn and I are having at our place on Sunday since we're not working. If we get him drunk enough, maybe Puck will let us have off on Monday," she laughed.

Rachel laughed and nodded. "Yes that sounds lovely. I will definitely be there."

Quinn nodded and walked away as Rachel left the bar and went to the school to get Marley. When she got there, Marley was sitting on the examination table with Jake standing across from her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Rachel asked.

"Horrible. Can I just go home, get medicine and go to sleep?"

"Sure, I took off the rest of the day so I can be home with you." She looked at Jake. "Keeping her company while waiting for me?"

"Kind of, I saw her run to the bathroom and I wanted to check if she was okay. When I saw that she threw up, I brought her to the nurse's office and wanted to wait with her until you showed up."

Rachel nodded in appreciation. "Well thank you for being so caring about my little sister but I can take care of it from here. You should get back to class before Puck gets a phone call about you skipping."

Jake chuckled. "Yeah you're right. I will see you ladies later. I hope you feel better and change your mind about Friday, Marley."

As he walked out, Rachel looked at Marley, raising an eyebrow. "What does he mean by that, Marls?"

Marley blushed. "He asked me out and I said no."

"What?" Rachel asked, confused. "You like him and he finally asked you out. Why would you say no?"

"Can we not talk about it right now? I just want to go home and sleep."

"Okay, let's go." Rachel nodded as they left the office. She wished that Marley would start being more open with her feelings and come out of her shell. Maybe Mercedes was right. Maybe Marley had to see her move on with her life and get close to other people in order to do it herself.

XXXXXXXX

After giving Marley medicine and sending her off to bed, Rachel changed out of her Peppermint Heaven uniform into yoga pants and a T-shirt. When she sat down in the living room, she picked up an old magazine from the stack that she kept hidden from Marley and began reading an article about her during one of her shows. Rachel smiled to herself, thinking of the old days when she shined onstage. It was where she knew she belonged but now it seems like that was a million years ago. She remembered the first Broadway show her fathers and Marley attended, three years ago.

_Rachel had just came off the stage and was ready to see her family. She couldn't wait to hear their comments and even the criticism so she could become a better actress. When her fathers and Marley came backstage, she ran to hug them._

"_Baby girl you were fantastic," her father, Leroy, said before letting her go and hug her other father, Hiram._

"_I see all those years of dance and voice lessons paid off." He smiled. "I couldn't believe that was my little girl up there on a Broadway stage."_

_Rachel smiled at them before looking at Marley. "And what do you think, Marls?"_

"_I think you need to work with me more so I can become a better singer. I may not want to be a Broadway star like you, but I do want to sing in concerts and stuff. Can I please come spend a summer with you so you can help me? Please?" she begged. Rachel laughed and hugged her sister._

"_I'll try to work on Dad and Daddy, I promise." Rachel winked. Hiram and Leroy laughed at their daughters' relationship. Their girls were the closest any pair of sisters could be and they couldn't be any happier._

"_Okay girls, let's go get something to eat," Hiram said. "I'm sure our Broadway star is starving."_

_The Berry family made their way out of the building, trying to push through everyone who wanted to talk to Rachel about the show. Once they were safely in their car, they went to the nearest restaurant and enjoyed their first night out together in months, talking about the show and everything the future held in store for them._

Rachel wiped a tear, trying to forget about the fact that her fathers will never be able to see one of the things they predicted would happen: her winning a Tony for her performances. When thinking about this, it reminded Rachel why she never wanted to be on that stage again. But deep down, she knew part of her missed it. She just couldn't bring herself to admit it.

While she put the magazine back to its place where it was hiding, she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, she saw Puck standing there with his hands in his pockets.

"Noah," she said, shocked. "How did you find where I lived?"

"Your pal, Mercedes came into the bar looking for you and when I told her about Marley, she was going to come here to check on you two but I convinced her to let me do it so she gave me your address. You plan on letting me stay out here the whole night?"

"Right, sorry." Rachel stepped to the side and let him in, trying to get over the embarrassment of Puck seeing her in something that was the complete opposite of how he looked at work.

"Nice place," he said, looking around as he and Rachel sat down on the couch. "Definitely something a Broadway Diva would live in. So how's your sister?"

"She's fine, I just gave her some medicine and now she's asleep. Have you talked to your brother today?"

Puck thought about it. "Nope, why?"

"Well he asked Marley out and she declined."

"Someone turned Jake down? That's a first. I thought you said she liked him?"

"She does but she's been having a hard time letting herself get close to people since the accident. She doesn't want to take the chance of losing them, I guess."

"Sounds like someone else I know," he smirked. Rachel blushed and looked down, knowing he was referring to her. "Anyway, I figured since you had to leave early, we could just have our talk here."

"Now?" Rachel asked, nervously. This wasn't how she pictured the talk going.

Puck shrugged. "Now's as good a time as ever. Marley's asleep so there's no chance of her interrupting, we're not at the bar where we have the temptation of getting drunk and completely avoiding this."

Rachel giggled and nodded. "I guess you're right."

"So you already told me where you stand so I figured I could do some talking this time." Puck took a breath, surprised at how nervous he was to say this. "I can't lie, while I've fantasized about taking that Peppermint Heaven uniform off of you and doing things to you, I've also thought about just sitting with you and hanging out. It scares the shit out of me because I've never done that with a girl. I've been a sex shark since I was young and it's hard to break that habit. But I realized something when you told me about your dads."

"What?" Rachel asked, afraid to hear his answer.

"You're worth it. I'm willing to give it up if it means I can have you."

"Are you sure about this, Noah? This is a huge commitment."

"I know and I'm willing to do it. Ever since you shut me up that day we met, I can't get you out of my head. You're not like other chicks I've been with, who are willing to kill for a night with me. You're different and that's what I like about you. But because I've never really done this, I'm not promising not to fuck up a few times."

"I'm not expecting you to be perfect. I just don't want to feel like one of those trashy girls you have running in and out of the bar when you think no one sees."

Puck chuckled. "Trust me, Rach. You're nothing like those girls. I know you're scared about getting close to people and I get that. But I think you should let me in. Let me show you that I can be a one woman guy."

Rachel looked into his eyes and could tell he was telling the truth. She felt her heartbeat race as she tried to take in everything Puck was saying to her. He really wants her and only her. She didn't think this would happen, especially to her. Remembering her conversation with Mercedes, Rachel knew what she had to do. What she wanted to do.

"Okay," she nodded. "We can give this a chance."

At first, Puck couldn't speak. He couldn't believe that Rachel was really saying that she was willing to be in a relationship with him. His first real relationship. "Really? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Rachel smiled. Puck smiled back before leaning in and placing a soft kiss on Rachel's lips, not wanting it to go any further. When they pulled away, they stared at each other for a minute.

"Well I guess I better get going," Puck said as he got up and started walking to the door. "As much as I hate to say this, you know we still need to keep things professional right?"

Rachel nodded. "Of course. Doesn't mean I can't have fun trying to get under your skin," she smirked. Puck laughed.

"I guess not. By the way, your ass looks fucking sexy in those pants." He smirked before giving her a quick kiss. She laughed as he walked out and leaned against the door as she closed it. That talk wasn't too bad after all.

**They're finally together! Next chapter will be Finn and Quinn's dinner party. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter. Bye for now :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back everyone! This past weekend was great but now I'm back and ready to write. P.S. Who loved the 100****th**** and 101 episodes of Glee? But I'm sad. No more New Directions. Anyway, onto the story!**

Chapter 8

When getting ready for work the next day, Rachel couldn't help but be nervous. She knew that she and Puck were together now but she wasn't sure what it would be like to be a couple and work together. But despite this nervousness, she was excited to go and see him after their night of confessions and couldn't help but blast music to express her enthusiasm.

While folding her uniform and putting it in her bag, Marley stopped by her room. "Why are you in such a good mood?"

"I can't be happy to go to work?"

"You're never_ this_ happy to go." She smirked. "So what's going on?"

Rachel looked at her. "Noah came by last night and told me that he wanted us to try to have a relationship."

"And you said yes?" Marley asked, shocked.

"Yes, of course."

"Well congratulations." Marley gave a smug smile. "Now you get to work, knowing that you're screwing the boss."

Rachel's jaw dropped in shock. "I'm not even going to respond to that statement. Shouldn't you be in bed, resting? Or are you well enough to be sent to school?"

Marley shook her head. "I've already thrown up twice this morning so I think I just need today to stay home."

"Alright. Well there are some bottles of ginger ale in the kitchen. Just drink that and you should feel better in no time, okay?" She asked. Marley nodded. "Also, before I go I want to talk to you about Jake."

"What about him? I already made it clear that I didn't want to go out with him."

"Marls, you told me that you liked him. What changed?"

"I just don't think it's a good idea. It could ruin our friendship or something," she answered, looking away. Rachel sighed, knowing that was something Marley did when she was lying. But when she looked at the time, she realized she had to get going so she couldn't continue questioning Marley.

"We'll talk about this later. Go back to bed and don't forget to drink the ginger ale."

Marley nodded as Rachel grabbed her bag and left the loft. She was going to get to the bottom of this and figure out what is wrong with Marley. It just doesn't make sense why she's acting like this, especially with her. The two of them were always close but now it was like now that their fathers were gone, Marley is just shutting her out. Rachel knew this needed to change and she was determined to make it happen.

XXXXXXXX

Puck was looking through the bills for the bar when his mind drifted towards Rachel. After he left her place last night, all he could think about was her. Never in a million years did he see himself being in a real relationship, especially with someone like Rachel. But when he looked at her, he couldn't help but want her not just for a night, but for an actual relationship.

While he was thinking, Puck heard Rachel's voice enter the bar, he decided to put everything on hold to go and see her. He waited until he heard her go into the dressing room before following after her. He walked into the room and found her laying out her makeup while humming to herself.

"Hey BD," he greeted. She turned around and looked at him, confused.

"What's BD?"

"Broadway Diva. It's a mouthful to say sometimes so I'm just going to go with BD."

Rachel laughed. "Understandable. Come to say hi before I get to work?"

Before answering, Puck strolled over to her and pulled her into his arms. "You know, I could always just give you the day off so we can go back to my place."

When he started kissing her, Rachel's thoughts of doing her work went out the window as she kissed him back. Puck backed her against the table as his lips went to her neck.

"You know, someone could come in any minute." Rachel tried to mention, ignoring the pleasure she was feeling. But Puck didn't respond to her and continued what he was doing. She decided to try and talk about something else. "You know, Marley is in serious denial over her feelings for Jake. I tried asking why she turned him down and she refused to tell me. It's like she's completely closed off to the idea of being with anyone."

Puck pulled away and smirked at his girlfriend. "If I didn't know any better, I would think that you weren't enjoying what I'm doing to you right now."

"What you're doing is nice but what happened to staying professional? This doesn't look like professional."

"Baby, I'm the boss. There's no way either of us could get fired. In fact, the worse that could happen is one of the girls walking in on us and considering the fact that they all have work to do, that won't be happening. So we're safe. Just relax."

When he leaned his head forward, Rachel pulled away. "Noah, I want to take things slow. This is my first relationship in a while and I don't want to rush things."

Puck was taken back for a minute. This wasn't what he was used to but he remembered that Rachel wasn't like the other girls he's been with. She's been through a lot of pain already and he knew he didn't want to cause her anymore so he nodded in agreement. "We can do that. I can't promise not to touch your ass and make any comments about how sexy you look in your uniform but I'll try to control myself."

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me." Rachel got up and walked towards the door before turning back to look at Puck with a flirty smile. "I have to get to work boss."

As she walked out, purposely swaying her hips, Puck felt his pants tighten. This girl was going to be the death of him. But it would be a death that he definitely wouldn't mind.

XXXXXXXX

On Sunday, Rachel went with Puck to Quinn and Finn's dinner party. When they got there, they found Santana and Brittany sitting on the couch talking to each other and in the kitchen, they found Quinn cooking and Finn setting out bowls for everything.

"Wow, you actually got him to be useful," Puck smirked. Finn glared at him.

"Hey, I can be useful." He looked at Quinn. "Tell him, babe."

Quinn nodded. "Yes Finn can be useful…after you bribe him with a night of hot sex."

Everyone but Finn laughed, as he stood there with a pout. After Quinn gave him a quick kiss, he perked up again and looked at Puck and Rachel. "So this is really a thing, huh?"

"Yeah and I don't plan on fucking it up anytime soon," Puck replied, putting his arm around Rachel.

"Noah, language." Rachel scolded before looking at Quinn. "Do you need any help? I can put Finn out of his misery."

Finn looked at Rachel with begging eyes. "Please do."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Okay you can go. You and Puck can entertain guests while Rachel and I get ready to put everything out."

Without hesitation, Finn and Puck quickly walked out of the kitchen, leaving Quinn and Rachel with the task of finishing preparing everything. While Rachel took over Finn's job, Quinn looked at her.

"So you and Puck are really giving this thing a shot, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know it's unexpected but I really think this could work. And Noah seems to be taking this seriously."

"Well that's good. I wish you two the best."

"Thank you. I never asked, but how long have you and Finn been together?"

"Since our senior year of high school." Quinn smiled, thinking of her significant other. "I never imagined being with someone for so long but he's my first love. And from what I've seen, first loves are forever."

Rachel smiled at her friend. "That's so sweet."

Quinn nodded as she began turning off everything, as she was finished cooking. "So how is everything going with Marley? Is she any better?"

Rachel sighed and shook her head. "As far as her illness goes, yes she's fine but everything else, no not really. Jake asked her out and she turned him down, even though she likes him. When I tried to question her about it, she refused to tell me why she was acting like this. I don't know what to do with her. She's made no friends, she's close to being kicked out of the school because she refuses to do the assignments where she needs to sing, and she won't talk to me. We used to be so close but now it feels like we're just strangers living together."

"Maybe she needs to see someone about this." Quinn suggested. "I mean, this can't be healthy for a 16-year-old. Have you looked into sending her to a therapist?"

"I thought about it but I don't want to mention it to her because I'm afraid she'll completely shut me out because she thinks I think she's crazy."

"We'll figure something out, don't worry. But for now, let's get this food out to everyone before they come strangle us."

They laughed as they began to bring the food out to everyone. As everyone began to fix their food, Puck pulled Rachel into his arms.

"So what were you and Quinn talking about?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"Just things about us, she and Finn's relationship and we talked about Marley."

"Speaking of Marley, how's she doing? I haven't seen her in a while."

"Can we talk about it later?" she asked, not wanting to get upset about Marley again. "I just want to think about something else right now."

Puck nodded and led her to the couch so they could sit down. While everyone continued their conversations, Finn tapped on his glass cup to get everyone's attention.

"Excuse me, everyone," he said.

Santana laughed. "Finnocence, I'd be careful if I were you. You know Quinn will kick your ass if you broke one of her special glasses."

"Quiet, Satan." Puck cut in. "Let my boy speak."

"Thank you." Finn nodded before looking at everyone. "As you all know, I've been with Quinn for about five years now and these have been the happiest years of my life." As everyone awed in admiration, Finn made his way over to Quinn. "You're the most special person to me and I love you so much. You're like this beacon of light, guiding me through the dark. And for some bizarre reason, you chose to let me love you. I know that if I could convince you to let me keep doing that, then everything will be okay." Finn took a deep breath, breathing out his nervousness as he pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a ring. Quinn put her hands to her mouth in shock as tears filled her eyes. "Quinn Fabray, will you marry me?"

For a moment, Quinn was too shocked to speak. But when she realized that everyone was staring at her, she remembered that she needed to answer. "Yes."

Finn's eyes widened in shock. "Yes?"

"Yes I will marry you!" she cried. Finn pulled her into a kiss as everyone cheered. While Finn put the ring on Quinn's finger, Rachel smiled at her friend and looked at Puck, who was frowning.

"Noah? Are you okay?" she asked. He looked at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just surprised that's all."

"Finn didn't tell you he was proposing?"

Puck shook his head. "Nope. I can't believe he's breaking the brotherly oath."

"Oath?"

"When we were in high school, we made a promise to never get married so we can live the bachelor life forever."

"Come on, Noah. You can't expect him to hold onto a promise you two made so long ago. Also, wasn't Quinn in the picture?"

"Not yet. This was freshman year."

"Well that was before Quinn came along. You can't blame him for falling in love. Who knows, maybe it'll happen to you someday."

"With who? You?" he replied.

"Would that be so bad?"

"If you mean, would I rather get my dick cut off than to be under the control of a woman for the rest of my life, then hell yeah."

Rachel frowned. Even though they were just starting out, Rachel was hoping to have a future with Puck. But he obviously doesn't feel the same way. If there was no future in this relationship, then what were they doing?

"Then what are we doing?" she asked him. Puck turned his head to her.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't see the point in marriage or anything so what are we doing?"

"Rachel, come on. Do you honestly believe we'll spend the rest of our lives together? I mean, we just started dating."

"Maybe not but what if we got to that point?"

"Look babe, the Puckasaurus doesn't settle down. I may be able to be detained, but don't count on the marriage thing."

Rachel shook her head before getting up and walking away. If there was no chance of their relationship going any further, then she didn't know what she wanted to do. Rachel wanted a future with someone but Puck's not even open to the idea. And the fact that he considers being in a relationship a version of being in jail, then she didn't want this. There were better guys who might actually want a future with her and she just might have to find them.

**Their first fight! Will they get pass this or will Rachel go and find someone who wants to be in a committed relationship? Find out in the next chapter. Don't forget to review! Bye for now :)**


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